Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a long-awaited overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) or most commonly referred to as the No Child Left Behind Act. ESSA passed with bipartisan support, and encourages states and schools to innovate, while at the same time maintaining an emphasis on state and local systems of improvement and strengthening a more balanced assessment and accountability system.

ESSA establishes a framework for preparing students for life beyond K-12, whether that is attending college or pursuing a career. The reauthorized Act largely continues Congress' interest in ensuring that the nation's investment in elementary and secondary education is in service of our most vulnerable youth. This includes:

Ensuring students graduate high school ready for college and the workplace;

Reducing gaps among student groups in achievement, opportunity and graduation;

Supporting and improving struggling schools;

Improving school conditions for student learning, including the use of technology to improve academic achievement;

Providing all students with access to a well-rounded education;

Expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities; and

Keeping the focus on high-quality classroom instruction through professional development and meaningful feedback for educators.

On September 18, 2017, the New Hampshire Department of Education (NH DOE) submitted a final ESSA Consolidated State Plan that was based on feedback from hundreds of citizens from the Granite State over the course of a year and a half. The U.S. Department of Education now has 120 days (per ESSA) to review the plan to ensure it meets the requirement of the law. To read about this process, please see the peer review resources at https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplan17/index.html.

The NH DOE thanks everyone who provided input through surveys, emails, regional meetings, and stakeholder meetings, and especially to those that participated in our Advisory Teams. Please see the Stakeholder Engagement section below for a summary of participation and results.

On January 19, 2018, the NH DOE received approval for its plan from the U.S. Department of Education. The final plan, along with the approval letter and press release can be found here:

ESSA requires states to develop a Consolidated State Plan to address areas such as: accountability and improvement, educator support, and assistance to our most vulnerable youth. The New Hampshire Department of Education has been committed to involving educators, parents and other stakeholders as we explore this new student-focused plan. Over the past year and half, a variety of engagement strategies have been implemented:

The NH DOE facilitated advisory teams of educators, policymakers, partners and other stakeholders to gather input into the plan design. These teams, minutes of meetings and meeting materials have be posted below.

The NH DOE met with the Education Committees of the NH General Court multiple times to provide information and gather input into the development of our plan.

The NH DOE collected input from parents of students with disabilities gathered by the Parent Information Center.

The NH DOE has presented at many gatherings including those hosted by NEA-NH, NHSAA and the NH PTA.

The NH DOE hosted a regional listening tour and posted a survey to gather input and feedback into the state’s visions for education. The individual listening forum notes are attached in the chart below. Also, the raw data from the survey and a summary of the listening tour and survey is below.

Since March 2016, the NH DOE has been collaborating with various stakeholders in an effort to build an understanding of the new ESSA. We have actively engaged an Accountability Task Force, Comprehensive Support and Improvement Advisory Team, Educator Equity and Support Advisory Team, English Learner Advisory Team, and a Funding Streams Advisory Team.

More information about each Advisory Team, including membership, materials and meeting minutes can be found at the links below.

Finally, during the public review period (May 23 - June 23, 2017), we received 508 responses to our survey requesting input into the DRAFT Consolidated State Plan. In addition, we received over 50 emails with feedback for improving the plan or suggestions for improvement in NH's educational system in general. The raw data from that collection, as well as a summary of the survey can be found below.